


The Cutting Edge

by Karasuno Volleygays (ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor)



Series: Valentine's Kisses 2019 [11]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Ice Skating, Nervous Beans, This is abominably fluffy and i regret nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 10:44:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17385023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor/pseuds/Karasuno%20Volleygays
Summary: There was one date they got incredibly wrong, and one they got incredibly right.





	The Cutting Edge

Hitoka reaches downtown Sendai at precisely ten minutes before seven, where the rest of the team is meeting up to enjoy the ice rink the city builds every year for its citizens to use for free. Since she was small, she has always looked forward to her trips to the ice rink. Despite being a bucket of nerves every time she straps knives to her feet, she’s actually pretty good at it.

Content to wait out her clubmates, Hitoka works her feet into her ice skates, which she will probably not be able to wear anymore after this year due to gaining half a shoe size. But she likes them. They’re white with purple accents, and she’ll make sure they get a good home once she grows out of them.

However, seven comes and goes, and her expected companions are nowhere to be found. It isn’t until a familiar voice calls out to her that she is sure she hasn’t gone to the wrong ice rink in the center of Sendai. There aren’t any more, but if there were, Hitoka knows she’d find it somehow.

“Yacchan!” Asahi waves at her and holds up a pair of rental skates. They’re hockey skates rather than figure skates, but that might be for the best if he’s never skated before. Toe picks are just one of the many hazards of taking to the ice for the first time.

Hitoka waves back, and he heads in her direction. “Do you know where everyone else is?”

Shaking her head, Hitoka shrugs. “Maybe they couldn’t make it?”

“I guess. I texted Suga, so maybe he knows. He always does.” He smiles at her. “Anyway, no sense in waiting, right?”

“Right.” 

She makes sure there’s plenty of room on the bench and even keeps her lace puller out to help him if he needs it. Not that he will. He’s plenty strong enough to tie his skate boots, of course. He’s the ace. He could probably rip the chassis right off the skate with his bare hands if he wanted to.

“You look like you’re thinking about something really strange,” he mentions, and Hitoka’s face turns an even deeper shade of red to go with the blush already settling on her cheeks from the cold.

Ducking her head, she lets out a nervous laugh. “I was just wondering if you’ve ever skated before.”

Asahi shakes his head. “Always seemed too scary. Now it just . . . doesn’t, you know?”

And she does. If Hitoka has learned anything this year, it is that she is capable of a lot more than most people give her credit for — especially herself. She feels a rush of pride that Asahi has chosen to embark on a learning experience despite his fears. She knows from years of painful experience how difficult that is.

“You’re going to do great, Azumane-san.” She beams at him, and Hitoka can swear she sees him blush at her, as well. 

Now they’re both embarrassed over something or another, but the quiet that falls while Asahi resolutely straps himself into his skates isn’t an uncomfortable one. After getting to know him, Hitoka hasn’t met a person she’s more comfortable with than the timid giant sitting next to her. He’s polite, obliging, and the only third year who doesn’t chew on the water bottle caps.

When he’s ready, Hitoka holds out a hand and nods toward the ice. “If you want, I can show you the basics. And don’t worry if you fall. It doesn’t really hurt.”

“Okay.” However, he’s cut off by the merry tune of his alert tone, a rendition of the Super Mario theme music even Hitoka recognizes. He reads the message and sighs. “Oh, man. Skating is supposed to be next week. That’s why no one else is here.”

Hitoka groans. “Ugh, I feel like an idiot.”

“Same.” Asahi stands on wobbling feet, but he eventually gains his balance and is able to take the first few steps toward Hitoka like a newborn baby deer. “Well, we’re already here. Care to join me while I embarrass myself?”

“You won’t.” As offered, she takes his hand and guides him carefully to the open entrance to the rink.

When he’s finally holding himself up with the help of willpower and the boards, she turns backward to guide him through the motions. “Glide on one skate and push with the other.” She watched his shaky feet do as she commands, but slowly but surely, he is able to do just that, if only without alternating with every stride. Baby steps. “Good, good. You’re getting it.”

“I don’t feel like I’m getting it,” Asahi grunts as he attempts to mimic the strides of a passing skater. His feet give out from under him, and he manages to grip the boards before dropping onto his butt on the ice. He shakily regains his feet and closes his eyes, and Hitoka can hear him muttering something under his breath. 

She offers him a tight smile. “You’re doing okay, I promise. You haven’t broken anything or run over any little kids, so that’s pretty good in my book, Azumane-san.” His posture straightens just a bit at her encouragement, and her smile widens. “Now work on shifting your weight back and forth from one foot to the other.”

And he does, with a limited measure of success. She won’t lie and say he’ll win any gold medals anytime soon, but his natural athleticism allows him to motor around the small rink without the aid of the boards within a half hour of taking his first shaking steps onto the ice.

“This is probably driving you nuts,” Asahi says with a sigh. “You’re supposed to be having a good time, but instead you’re stuck with the least graceful skater in Miyagi.”

Hitoka shakes her head adamantly. “Not at all!” She turns backward on her skates and meets his gaze, even if she has to look almost straight up to do it. “I usually have to come here by myself. It’s actually more fun with someone else.”

“That’s very nice of you to say, Yacchan.” He teeters on the edge of one skate as he starts to fall, but Hitoka feels a rush of pride when he manages to right himself without hitting the ice. “That was close.” He ducks his head and lets out a nervous laugh. “Don’t want to accidentally crush you. Kiyoko would murder me.”

While Hitoka doubts her sweet senpai is capable of murder, Hitoka certainly understands the anxiety behind the sentiment. She doesn’t want to disappoint her friends, either. “You’re doing great, Azumane-san. I really mean it.” 

“Thank you.”

This time, he really does biff on the ice, and Hitoka has to suppress a giggle at the sight of his sprawled limbs being dusted with slivers of ice. “Do you want to take a break? The cocoa here is good.”

Asahi sighs in relief, and they warily tread through a sea of onlooking parents to make it to the vendor cart that is sending cheery puffs of steam into the cold January air. When they arrive, Asahi says, “Two hot chocolates, please. Extra whip cream on mine.”

“And extra marshmallows for mine,” Hitoka pipes while fishing through her pockets for the correct amount of change.

Next to her, Asahi shakes his head. “I’ll get it. It’s the least I can do for your patience with me being terrible at this.”

She almost objects but doesn’t, and she doesn’t miss the wink the drink vendor sends his way when he hands Asahi the styrofoam cups. “Thank you.” 

Hitoka insists on carrying their drinks, and Asahi wisely does not object. Her strides on the skate blades are steady and confident, where his are lurching and uneven. She finds the nearest open table and settles down, and she smiles into her cup at Asahi’s heavy sigh of relief. “I’ll never take normal walking for granted again.”

“Maybe that’s what it’s like for babies to learn how to walk,” she offers. “Maybe we don’t remember because it’s so scary and traumatic that our brains block it out.”

Asahi quirks a brow. “I can’t actually tell if you’re serious or not.”

With a peal of laughter, Hitoka covers her mouth with her hand to stifle it. Finally, she admits, “It was a joke.” A mental image of an infant Hitoka lumbering around like she’s walking on skate blades rushes through her mind, and after the first half dozen tumbles, she thinks there may be some credence to that theory after all. “Sort of.”

The mood is light while they sip their too-hot cocoa. Hitoka darts her tongue out to lap up the frothy remains of her extra marshmallows, long melted by the scalding beverage. She doesn’t even realize she’s doing it until she catches Asahi looking at her strangely. She shrinks behind her cup. “Did I get marshmallow on my nose?”

“No, I —” Asahi tries to hide his red face by taking a long drag of his cocoa, only to whine in discomfort as it likely burns a layer of flesh from his tongue. “Ow, that was stupid.”

“Do you need water?” Hitoka rushes over to Asahi’s side of the table and looks around for something to soothe his burn. Her gaze settles on the dusting of snow covering the table’s sun umbrella. She grabs a fistful and mashes it into a golf ball size piece. “Here, eat this.”

Asahi shakes his head and shrinks away from the snowball. “You know there’s dirt in snow, right?”

“Oh yeah.” She giggles and tosses the snowball onto the ground. “Never mind. Just be careful not to hurt yourself. Then Kiyoko-san would kill  _ me _ for maiming the ace.”

He waves her off. “I’ll live.” Flicking his tongue, he frowns. “Maybe.”

That sparks a laugh, and Hitoka retakes her seat with a smile. They ease back into a companionable silence, and even she’s loath to get up when their drinks are finished and they hobble back toward the rink. Asahi is resolute as he takes up the challenge once again, however, and she can’t help but feel a rush of pride that she was able to help him enough for him to carry himself with such confidence.

When they return to the ice, Asahi improves at an even quicker rate. Soon, Hitoka has to skate facing forward to keep up. After almost an hour, turns no longer elicit a nervous yelp as they approach.

Hitoka nearly crashes herself when Asahi’s hand takes hers, their gloves dulling the feeling but not entirely. He offers her a sheepish grin. “Seems like the right thing to do.”

Hitoka looks around, and indeed most of the other skaters are holding hands with someone or another. Parents and children, children and children, and a healthy sprinkling of lovers, as well. “Oh, yeah. You’re right.”

She is surprised, albeit pleasantly so, at how nice it is to have someone’s hand tangled with hers. Asahi is mostly concentrating on his skating, which leaves Hitoka to coast around the rink on autopilot while she watches him.

As the night grows colder and the hour later, the crowd at the rink thins until there are just a few couples left on the ice and the only children left are being ushered to the benches to take their skates off by their parents. 

The chill finally starting to seep through her jeans and into her bones, her teeth beginning to chatter soon after. Asahi’s hand tightens its grip on hers, and he coasts to a stop along the boards. “You’re freezing. Why don’t we call it a night?”

Hitoka nods in agreement, and they plug along the boards until they reach the exit. Her toes are numb in her skates, so she doesn’t realize her toe pick hits the lower boundary of the rink until she’s falling.

With a yelp, she bowls into Asahi, who gapes at her in wide-eyed shock as they both plummet to the hard packed earth surrounding the rink. Hitoka’s breath whooshes out of her lungs when Asahi grips her tightly to his chest right before he lands heavily on his back..

“Are you okay?” Hitoka tries to push herself up, but she only succeeds in sprawling out once again on top of him, their faces only a whisper apart. She lets out a nervous laugh. “Toe pick.” 

“Yacchan.” Asahi’s hand gripping her shoulder eases and slides up to cup her cheek. The soft knit of his gloves tickles her skin, but she barely notices past the large brown eyes meeting hers, complete with a crooked smile. “I had a nice time.”

“Yeah.” Hitoka’s heart pounds heavily in her chest, drowning out the sound of her better judgment telling her to move and let the poor guy up. But she doesn’t, and he doesn’t try to free himself of her weight, either. 

_ Oh, god, I like him like  _ that, her brain screams. That proclamation barrels through her skull at lightning pace. Hitoka wants to kiss him, and she definitely wants him to kiss her. But it wouldn’t be right, since she’s pinning him down and he can’t get away and he’ll think she tripped on purpose to —

Her mile-a-minute thoughts evaporate when he presses his lips to hers. 

Some untapped instinct comes to life, coaxing her fingers to course through his hair, which falls soft and loose around his shoulders. Asahi never wears it down at school or practice, but she’s glad he is today. For a golden moment, she greedily clings to the idea that he did it just for her.

When their mouths part, Hitoka giggles when she looks down at Asahi, who is lying splayed out on the ground with his eyes closed and a wide grin. “I should probably let you get up now. The ground is cold.”

“Nah, I’m good.” His arms starfish out, and he lets out a heavy breath that plumes into the air in a silvery mist. “Best screw up ever.”

Hitoka has enjoyed her evening so much that she nearly forgets that it had all stemmed from a mistake. A wonderful, blessed mix-up that may or may not be her favorite part of the new year. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.” 

Albeit reluctant to break the moment, she carefully lifts herself up and away from Asahi’s sprawled form. They find the nearest bench to take off their skates, and Hitoka can’t help but sneak a glance over here and there just to see if he’s still smiling.

He is, and so is she. She doesn’t think she could stop if she tried.

Once they’re back into street shoes, Asahi’s skates returned and hers carefully slung over her shoulder, he casts an arm around her shoulders and walks along with her all the way to the bus stop leading to her neighborhood. She blinks in surprise when he follows her onto the bus. “Don’t you live in the other direction?”

Asahi shrugs. “Yeah, but I just want to walk you home.”

“But you don’t —” He chortles at her objection, and she sighs, a dopey smile pasted on her face. “I’d like that.”

Hitoka burrows into his side throughout the ride while his warmth soaks into her. They nearly miss her stop, saved only by Asahi’s gentle nudge and pointed glance at the display over the driver’s seat. “Oh!”

The air is cold off the bus, but Hitoka doesn’t notice the chill. Not when their fingers are threaded together and their joined hands swinging between them. It’s almost surreal, like something that happens in manga and romcoms and not in everyday life. But it’s the here and now, and it’s hers — no,  _ theirs. _

At the entrance of her building, Hitoka meets his gaze and hopes he wants to kiss her again. She would kiss him, but even on her tiptoes, she doesn’t think she can reach without him meeting her halfway.

But like every golden moment of the night, her wish comes true, and Hitoka throws herself into the moment. Her fists clench around the bulk of his winter jacket to keep her on her tiptoes, and his head swoops just low enough that they fit just right.

They both reel apart to catch their breath, and Hitoka knows their night is officially over. However, she is all smiles at the realization that this is only the beginning of a new and joyous feeling. 

“Goodnight, Yacchan.” Asahi kisses her forehead and sighs. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

Hitoka nods, and she stays in the doorway of her apartment building long after he blends into the evening shadows. It’s not something she set out to find today or any other day, but somehow she has managed to fall head over heels in the most ridiculously literal sense for a gentle giant with a heart of gold and probably cotton candy.

She grins all the way up the stairs and well into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> tooooooooeeeeeeeepiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick


End file.
